Abstract

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are persistently evolving from merely a notion of microelectronics to a new realm of practical applications. Certain critical applications like disaster management, healthcare, and military not only require exceptionally reliable but also a low-latency source to sink communication. Nevertheless, low source to sink latency is of utmost importance in these kinds of applications. In this paper, a unique latency-sensitive reliable routing protocol for WSNs has been proposed. This protocol uses the concept of hotlines (highly reliable links) and also utilizes alternative routes to reduce the number of hops from the source to the sink. This reduction of hops not only reduces the end-to-end latency but also increases the reliability manifold. The proposed protocol is evaluated with the help of simulation. The simulation suggests that the proposed routing protocol outperforms previously suggested routing protocols in terms of average end-to-end latency and reliability.